Ranking Which U.S. City Has the Best Athletes: Philadelphia, Boston and the Rest

There are 13 cities in the United States that have teams from the four major sports. These are some of the biggest markets in America where the brightest stars can shine.

Which city has the best collection of stars across the four major sports? What fanbase has that special talent or personality that can draw them to watch a sport that they make not even like? This is a ranking of each of the 13 cities best players from each sport.

Each team gets two players, so every city will have eight players fighting for United States supremacy. Does your city have the biggest and best stars? How can this be judged? Here is how we're going to try.

They will be ranked on the following scale from 1-5 with 5 being the highest:

1) Talent (Skill) + or - points will be added or subtracted based on work ethic.

Atlanta, Georgia

I wanted to give bonus points to Hotlanta for having Ludicrous, but I figured I would have to give points to Philly for Will Smith so I decided against it.

Atlanta rocks a pretty solid lineup of professional sports teams, with three out of the four teams making the playoffs consistently.

Here is the breakdown:

Falcons- Matt Ryan, Michael Turner

1) Talent- 3.5.

Matt Ryan has proven that he can win at the pro level but do defenses really shudder at the thought of playing him? Or does the threat of Michael Turner running the ball make the almost immobile "Matty Ice" that much more effective? He is a natural leader and has good arm strength and accuracy. Michael Turner has proven that he deserves to be a starting back. He is a bull with great speed.

The Falcons rep the ATL pretty well from a talent standpoint.

2) Success- 2.5

The Falcons had the best record in the NFC this season, but they haven't done much until now with their current stars to earn a great score here.

3) Star appeal- 3

Matt Ryan is about as interesting as an arm chair, and that is coming from a guy that has met him (went to high school around me.) Even so, Atlanta has fallen in love with Ryan and is just what the franchise needed and deserved after the Michael Vick debacle. Extra credit for that.

4) Income with endorsements- 3.5

Matt Ryan did pretty well when he received almost $35 million in guaranteed money from his rookie contract, and I'll leave it at that.

5) Charity Work- 3

Ryan has been involved with charity work since before college and has continued that into his professional career.

Larry Jones get extra credit here as he somehow was successful in being called, "Chipper." Heyward is obviously one of the best and brightest young stars in the game. Chipper's game has dipped slightly with his recent rash of injuries but still an excellent score from the talent standpoint.

2) Success- 2.5

The Braves blew a seven-game lead over the summer to the Phillies (who won the division by six games), but they still made the playoffs. They have not been much of a factor the past few seasons in the postseason, but that may change this year with the great mix of youth and veteran players in the dugout.

3) Star appeal- 4.5

Chipper Jones is known by almost every baseball fan. He has had a Hall of Fame worthy career that he looks to build on this coming season. Jayson Heyward is either on ESPN or the cover of SI every week it seems, so big kudos on the star appeal front.

4) Income with endorsements- 4.5

Chipper boasts the 12th highest income ever by a baseball player, earning a staggering $141.5 million. Something tells me Heyward will be pushing Chipper further down the list before all is said and done.

5) Charity Work- 4

You would hope that Chipper would be giving a little back with the type of money he has earned, and he has. He has been nominated for numerous Man of the Year awards, and he even has a Chardonnay named after him, with 100% of the proceeds going to charity. Good stuff.

Hawks- Josh Smith, Joe Johnson

1) Talent- 3.5

Josh Smith is one of the most talented players in the NBA. He is a naturally-gifted athlete. Joe Johnson is a self-proclaimed, "gym rat" who has become an All-Star through hard work and dedication. Solid score here.

2) Success- 2.5

The Hawks seem to challenge the top teams in the playoffs each season, but they haven't been able to knock down any doors. Don't expect this to change anytime soon in an NBA where there are only four to six legitimate title contenders.

3) Star appeal- 2.5

Is anyone in New York talking about Joe Johnson? Does anyone in Boston care what Josh Smith ate for dinner last night? Didn't think so.

4) Income with endorsements- 4

NBA salaries are out of control!

5) Charity Work- 3

Neither guy has their own charity, but both do there part, as they have partaken in multiple charity functions hosted by other players in the NBA.

Thrashers- Dustin Byfuglien, Andrew Ladd

1) Talent- 3.5

"Big Buff" is a pretty special talent in the NHL. 260 lbs. and good speed is a dangerous combination in hockey. He has shown that he is versatile as well by moving to defense and not skipping a beat.

Ladd has 27 goals and 27 assists and is one of the best young players in the NHL. The Thrashers can definitely build their team around these two players.

2) Success- 2

Atlanta as a whole hasn't won much lately have they?

3) Star appeal- 2

Buff thinks he is a star...That counts, I guess.

4) Income with endorsements- 3

Not as much as the other top players in Atlanta, but they're not starving either.

5) Charity Work- 4

Andrew Ladd was named Captain of the Thrashers because he is a leader on and off the ice. He does his own charity work in the offseason. Great job.

Minneapolis – Saint Paul, Minnesota

Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

Thank God Brett Favre is retiring. He is retiring right? The Viking's boast some serious star power with their top names. They may not have as many players with star appeal as New York or Boston, but there is no denying they have some of the biggest names in sports.

They've had success the past few years, but they better resolve their QB situation if they want to continue as title contenders.

3) Star appeal- 4

Both players are very likable and are marketable figures for the NFL.

4) Income with endorsements- 4

Allen's salary jumps from $6 to $9 million next season and Peterson's from $1 million to $7.7 million. Both guys do pretty well in endorsements as well.

5) Charity Work- 4.5

Jared Allen has a charity golf tournament among other things, and Peterson has the "All Day" foundation.

Timberwolves- Kevin Love, Michael Beasley

1) Talent- 4

Five to love for the combination of talent and work ethic and a three to Beasley.

2) Success- 2

They definitely can build around Kevin Love.

3) Star appeal- 3

Love is a double-double machine that goes about his job every game.

4) Income with endorsements- 2.5

Love's salary is a bargain until 2013, and that is when Beasley's pay hike is scheduled for as well.

5) Charity Work- 4.5

Love has shown the love with the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital, coats for charities and monetary donations for cancer research, and Beasley has played in the T-wolves charity bball game.

Twins- Joe Mauer, Justin Morneau

1) Talent- 4.5

Mauer is a once-in-a-generation type of talent deserving of a five, and Morneau gets a four.

2) Success- 3

Moderate success.

3) Star appeal- 4

Five for Mauer and three for Morneau.

4) Income with endorsements- 4

Morneau is making $15 million a year, and Mauer is a steal, even at $12.5 million.

5) Charity Work- 4.5

Good to see they are giving some of their hefty paychecks back to Minnesota. Mauer is involved with the Friends of St. Paul Baseball and Morneau with the New Westminster Firefighter's Assoc. among other charity work.

Wild- Martin Havlat, Brent Burns

1) Talent- 3

Both players receive a three.

2) Success- 2

Will they ever be a contender for the Cup?

3) Star appeal- 2

The Minnesota Wild are a tough draw nationally anyways, but Burns and Havlat are nothing to go crazy about.

4) Income with endorsements- 3.5

$5 million for Havlat and $3.8 million for Burns. Not bad in hockey terms.

5) Charity Work- 4

Remember when the Wild players wore camouflage jerseys to support the troops? Awesome gesture.

Chicago, Illinois

Chicago has five teams, but we won't hold that against them. Still, only the best make the cut in this list. Bulls, Cubs, White Sox, Bears, Blackhawks.

Bulls- Derrick Rose, Joakim Noah

1) Talent- 4.5

Rose may be the best point guard in the NBA. He has an overall game that will garner him MVP considerations throughout his career. Noah's work-ethic is second to none. Great score here.

2) Success- 2.5

They are currently making a lot of noise in the East, but they haven't won anything with their current group of stars. Will this change?

3) Star appeal- 3

The NBA is clearly trying to shove Rose down our throats and for good reason, but Noah looks like a troll/gargoyle/Lord of the Rings character all-in-one.

4) Income with endorsements- 4.5

Well, at least Derrick Rose is under $10 million a year...until 2013.

5) Charity Work- 4

Derrick Rose partakes in the Bucks for Buckets charity, and Noah participates in golf tournaments, which he does not do well in. Nice thought though!

Cubs/ White Sox- Carlos Zambrano, Mark Buehrle

1) Talent- 3

I felt obliged to have a Cub on this list (even if it was not warranted.) I also was at a complete standstill trying to decide between Soriano, Aramis Ramirez, Jake Peavy and Paul Konerko...Not really star studded.

2) Success- 2

The White Sox did win a World Series with many of the players they have now, and they have a shot to win it again. As for the Cub's success, my buddy is a Cub's fan and he told me, "If the Cub's win a championship, I will never miss church again."

3) Star appeal- 2

Not many stars playing baseball in Chi town.

4) Income with endorsements- 4

The Cubs may be the king of overpaying players.

5) Charity Work- 5

Much love to Buehrle and his work saving dogs.

Bears- Jay Cutler, Brian Urlacher

1) Talent- 4

There is no denying that Jay Cutler has all of the tools to be a premier quarterback in the NFL, if only he would get off of that treadmill. Urlacher is in a class of his own at linebacker, and any football fan would love to have him on their team.

2) Success- 2

They did make it to the Super Bowl in 2008, but the Cubs may be starting to rub off on this proud franchise.

3) Star appeal- 3.5

Their is no doubting Urlacher is a star, (whatever you say Mr. Urlacher please don't hurt me), but Cutler has been in the headlines for all of the wrong reasons lately.

4) Income with endorsements- 4

The guy is a quarterback, of course he is going to be paid well. Urlacher deserves every penny.

5) Charity Work- 4

Again, a shout out to Urlacher for winning over $47,000 for charity during his Wheel of Fortune appearance. Thank you Vanna!

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Blackhawks- Jonathan Toews, Patrick Kane

1) Talent- 5

Quite simply, they are two of the 10 best hockey players in the world right now.

2) Success- 4.5

You have to give it to the young guns for bringing a championship and hockey back to the Windy City.

3) Star appeal- 5

They're not Crosby or Ovechkin, but they're pretty close.

4) Income with endorsements- 4.5

Toews is the cover boy for NHL 11, enough said.

5) Charity Work- 4

Charity golf outings and food kitchens, these are two fella's Chicago can be proud of. (As long as Patrick Kane never takes a cab again.)

New York City, New York

Jim McIsaac/Getty Images

New York was a tricky state to review, considering they have teams in New Jersey and in New York. Still, you would have to think New York would score solidly in the star catagory. They do have seven teams to choose from. Knicks, Giants, Jets, Mets, Yankees, Rangers, Islanders. I took the top stars from baseball, basketball, football and hockey. So, the Yankees will have two players on this list while the Mets have no one.

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

My hometown, my first love. I will try and stay as unbiased as possible here. Philadelphia is loaded with star-caliber players, many of whom came to Philadelphia the past few seasons.

Philly Nation has the Phillies, 76ers, Eagles and Flyers playing for them. Do their stars shine the brightest?

Phillies- Roy Halladay, Chase Utley

1) Talent- 5

They may be a four for actual talent, but their work ethic pushes them to a five. Don't you just love extra credit?

2) Success- 4

"World Bleepin Champs" for Utley and Halladay pitched the second no-hitter in Philly postseason history in his first postseason appearance. Not bad, not bad at all.

3) Star appeal- 5

Two of the top five jersey sales in MLB, enough said. Okay, I'll say one more thing, the President said he would pick Utley with the first pick to start his franchise.

4) Income with endorsements- 4.5

Not quite A-Roid and Jeter numbers, but still not chump change.

5) Charity Work- 4.5

It's a bit ironic that Michael Vick came to town and is a hero in the same city that Utley and his wife's All-Star Animals has flourished. Halladay is known for his charity work with the Ronald McDonald House among many other things. Both players are pure class.

Eagles- Michael Vick, DeSean Jackson

1) Talent- 5

Two of the most explosive players in NFL history.

2) Success- 3.5

Playoffs are not good enough for Philly.

3) Star appeal- 5

Don't try to deny it, the guys are superstars. Love or hate Vick, he will be in the news and will be making bank because of it.

4) Income with endorsements- 4

Franchise-tagged Vick is on his way to becoming very rich...Again. D-Jack's big-time payday is worrying Mr. Lurie, good thing he won that Oscar.

5) Charity Work- 4

Jackson gets a five for appearing on The View and signing a jersey for a boy that was viciously attacked by a group of students. Vick has appeared at a lot of Philly schools becoming a spokesman and an advocate for dogs. I find it hard to believe he would be doing this, however, unless he had too. Vick gets a three.

76ers- Andre Iguodala, Elton Brand

1) Talent- 3.5

Four to Iggy and a three to E.B.

2) Success- 3

The 76ers have a better record than the Knicks but still no extra credit.

3) Star appeal- 3

Sorry, but Philly will never be jiggy with Iggy.

4) Income with endorsements- 4.5

The fact that they score so well in income is not a good thing for the Sixers...

5) Charity Work- 4

Iguodala has a charity game every year among other things, and Brand signs countless memorablia for charity.

Flyers- Chris Pronger, Mike Richards

1) Talent- 4

Pronger is in the Lidstrom class of d-men. Richards has drawn comparisons to Bobby Clarke.

2) Success- 4

Best team in the East all year and Stanley Cup runner-up last season.

3) Star appeal- 4

Pronger seems to thrive in front of the camera, and the NHL is trying their best to tell America that Mike Richards has a personality. The guy is a leader though any way you look at it.

4) Income with endorsements- 5

$100 million contracts in hockey don't come around very often.

5) Charity Work- 4.5

Flyers Wives Fight for Lives Carnival is copied by many, but there is only one original.

Loaded with stars, they just miss out on first place by a half pt. The success numbers were the difference here, but my Philly brethren already knew that. Philly fans will still take their collection of stars over anybody's in the world.

Boston, Massachusetts

All four Boston sports teams have the talent, chemistry and ownership to win it all. They boast a lineup of the Red Sox, Celtics, Bruins and Patriots.

Red Sox- David Ortiz, Jason Varitek (Pedroia?)

1) Talent- 3

Big Papi can still get the job done in the clutch, but is he as effective as he was when he was taking the "juice?" Varitek made this list because he is the heart and soul of the Red Sox. He is the type of tough, blue-collar player that Boston loves.

2) Success- 5

What Curse? Babe Ruth who?

3) Star appeal- 4

Big Papi gets national attention, and Varitek is loved by Boston and respected around baseball. Good score here.

4) Income with endorsements- 4

Again, baseball contracts are out of control.

5) Charity Work- 5

Ortiz has a Children's Fund and Varitek is well-known for his charity work in hospitals. Some of the best in the business.

Celtics- Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce

1) Talent- 5

Two Hall of Famers for sure, nuff' said.

2) Success- 4.5

The team hasn't been together for a decade, but they have been consistent title contenders and will be so for at least another two years.

Ray Allen has the Ray of Hope foundation, and Garnett donated $1.2 million to build homes after Hurricane Katrina, among many other things. You have to respect that.

Bruins- Zdeno Chara, Tim Thomas

1) Talent- 4

Chara has the hardest shot ever recorded in the NHL, and Thomas leads the league in GAA. with a ridiculous 2.02. Chara can move pretty well for being the tallest player in NHL history as well. They get their props here.

2) Success- 2.5

I'm a Flyers fan so I had to point out: We came back from down 3-0!!!!

3) Star appeal- 2.5

Hockey in general lacks star power compared to other sports, but Chara and Thomas are just, ehhh.

Solid in all four sports. Loaded with star players that make big bucks. Boston, Ma. has the biggest collection of stars in all of sports and maybe the biggest star in Tom Brady. BABE RUTH WHO? WHAT CURSE?